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Mark Ramakers
| cityofbirth = Saint Croix | countryofbirth = U.S. Virgin Islands | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Forward / Winger | currentclub = FC Chapman | clubnumber = 11 | youthyears = 2005-2007 2007-2009 2009-2010 2010 | youthclubs = Free Will Baptist Excelsior Feyenoord FC Chapman | years = 2010-2012 2012- | clubs = FC Chapman II FC Chapman | caps(goals) = | nationalyears = 2011- | nationalteam = U.S. Virgin Islands | nationalcaps(goals) = | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Mark Gerald Ramakers (born August 4, 1992) is a U.S. Virgin Islands professional soccer player who plays as a striker and winger for Gregorian League A club FC Chapman and the United States Virgin Islands national team. Early life and youth career Ramakers was born on the island of Saint Croix to a Dutch father and an Afro-Caribbean mother. He holds dual citizenship with the Netherlands and the United States. Ramakers took interest in football at a young age, beginning his career at local club Free Will Baptist. Prior to his 15th birthday, he traveled to the Netherlands hoping to further his career, successfully trialing with Excelsior and joining the club's youth system. In 2009, the Excelsior academy merged with that of first-division side Feyenoord, and Ramakers moved up to the Feyenoord system. He spent just six months at the larger Rotterdam club, however, as he was released in January 2010, having been denied an opportunity with the first team. Club career FC Chapman While at Feyenoord, Ramakers attracted the attention of scouts from Gregorian side FC Chapman and, following his release, he accepted the club's invitation to join their academy, moving to St. Gregory in March 2010. Just five months later, on his 18th birthday, Ramakers signed a professional contract with Chapman. With a loaded strike corps, Chapman initially struggled to find a place for Ramakers in the first team, and he spent his first two years with the reserves. His breakout season came in 2013-14 as he made 21 senior appearances for the club across all competitions, playing alongside his mentor, Kane O'Bray. Ramakers scored 5 league goals and one in cup competition as Chapman completed the league and cup double. On September 3, 2014, Ramakers signed a five-year extension, keeping him at Chapman until the end of the 2019-20 season. During the 2014-15 SGFA Cup season, Ramakers scored in each of Chapman's matches (except for the quarter-final against Starrs County, although he did score in the penalty shoot-out that decided that match), including the final, where he scored an equalizer in added time at the end of the second half to force extra time. Chapman went on to win the match 3-2 in extra time and successfully defend their Cup title. In addition, Ramakers' exploits throughout the cup run earned him Player of the Tournament honors. Ramakers made history on December 3, 2016, when he scored four goals in one match to help Chapman defeat Cape Wells Wanderers 5-2 at Wanderers Stadium. In doing so, he became just the second Chapman player (and the first since Jarrod Shannon in 2001) to score four goals in a League A game. He was named League A player of the week for Matchday 9 for his haul. He went on to score in the following two league matches as well, in wins over Swifton Athletic and New Castle, and was named League A player of the month for December. On November 5, 2017, Ramakers recorded another hat-trick in a 4-0 away win over defending League A champions, Independence. International career Despite the U.S. Virgin Islands being one of the weakest teams in CONCACAF, and despite being eligible for the Netherlands due to his father, Ramakers declared his allegiance to his home country in 2010. He made his debut as a 19 year-old on July 10, 2011 in a World Cup qualifier against the British Virgin Islands, which the U.S. Virgin Islands won 2-1. As the U.S. Virgin Islands are a United States territory, Ramakers does not count as a foreign player in Gregorian competition (as he was born in the Virgin Islands, he would not count as a foreign player even if he had chosen to play for the Netherlands). Style of play Ramakers started his career as a left winger. He is primarily left footed and possesses excellent dribbling skills and a powerful shot. He has been compared to Dutch striker/left winger Ryan Babel. Matthew Frame, then the manager of FC Chapman, said of Ramakers in 2013: "He's without a doubt the future of this club ... he's got a wonderful talent set and the most important thing is, he stays healthy ... the Virgin Islands might make the World Cup if half their team was as good as Mark." Category:Player pages Category:FC Chapman players Category:People from the U.S. Virgin Islands